


Incapacitated

by anri



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-16 06:22:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5817469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anri/pseuds/anri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Oikawa? Are you okay?" Only then did Iwaizumi turn and look at the Captain properly for the first time in the game. Oikawa was doubled over, still sat on the bench, his hair clenched in his hands. Matsukawa was crouching by him, his hand resting on Oikawa's thigh, head turned up to hear him. Iwaizumi stormed back towards the bench. The room was very quiet, very still. "Oikawa?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Incapacitated

**Author's Note:**

> -uses own experience of completely shredded knee cartilage through sports injury and three years of on and off crutches to write this-

Iwa didn't notice there was anything wrong at first. He was focussed on the game, focussing on where the ball was going, when to jump. Time-out was called, and he sat himself down on the bench. It may have just been a practice match, but that didn't mean he shouldn't take it seriously. Oikawa would kill him if he didn't. The captain sat down next to him, taking huge gulps from his water bottle, his hair sticking to his forehead. They didn't speak to each other - they didn't need to. They both knew they had to win. They had a five point lead, and it was in the second set. They could win this. The whistle blew, and Iwa dumped his water bottle, launching himself off the bench, ready to play.

Oikawa didn't follow.

And still, Iwa paced onto the court. He assumed Oikawa was taking a moment, thinking about the game, the strategy. It didn't occur to him. It was only when he heard Hanamaki scuff his shoes, turning back to face the bench. "Oikawa? Are you okay?" Only then did Iwaizumi turn and look at the Captain properly for the first time in the game. Oikawa was doubled over, still sat on the bench, his hair clenched in his hands. Matsukawa was crouching by him, his hand resting on Oikawa's thigh, head turned up to hear him. Iwaizumi stormed back towards the bench. The room was very quiet, very still. "Oikawa?"

"...can't get up." He heard the captain's voice, tiny and broken as he whispered to Matsu. The third year turned towards Iwa, his face tense, and, for the first time in their friendship, he looked scared. The coach was looking between all of the students. Kindaichi's hands were clenched firmly on his shirt. "What's wrong, Oikawa?" Iwaizumi asked, kneeling down. Tooru was shaking, his hands gripping harder.

"It _hurts_."

"What hurts?"

"My knee..."

Iwa bit his lip. "Can I....take off your kneepad, for now?" Oikawa nodded minutely, and he tried to gently tug at the fabric, but the captain whimpered.

"No. Stop touching. It hurts," he cried, doubling over further. Matsukawa and Iwaizumi exchanged a nervous glance.

"Kunimi," Matsu called, looking over his shoulder, "I think we need some of the medics, can you go ask?" The first year nodded, rushing towards the exit of the gym. The coach was watching the third years intensely, and the other team were completely still. Hanamaki had joined Iwa, pulling the kneepad at the top, trying to stop it from putting pressure on Oikawa's knee any more than it already was. What should have been a simple operation turned into a four-handed job. Matsu was holding one of Oikawa's hands, the captain gripping it firmly, his knuckles white. When they finally got the kneepad down, it was clear something was not right. His knee was red and swollen, his kneecap bulging out. Iwa sighed, "Oikawa..."

The captain burst into tears, and Iwa pulled himself up to sit down next to him on the bench, pulling his arm around him. Hanamaki and Matsukawa were still kneeling beside him. Oikawa was usually so strong. He endured a lot of pain when he was playing. It had to take something completely incapacitating to stop him from getting back up.

The nursing staff arrived fairly promptly, a wheelchair being brought into the gym. Oikawa looked up at it and whimpered. Matsukawa and Hanamaki got out the way for the nurse, who took one look at Oikawa's knee and decided he needed medical attention. The wheelchair was brought forward, and Iwa grabbed hold of Oikawa, holding him tightly. "You need to get up to get in."

He started shaking his head, looking up to Iwaizumi, his eyes red, his lips quivering. "You need to. You need to, I'm sorry," he murmured. He pulled the captain's arms around his neck, trying to hold his weight. Oikawa bit his lip, holding on as he stood up. He hissed as he tried to straighten out his leg, and he nearly dropped completely when he had to put weight on it to sidestep into the chair. Iwa kept a tight hold of him, muscles straining as he lowered Oikawa into the chair. He sat very still, his head lowered.  Iwa leaned over him, pressing his forehead into Oikawa's shoulder. "You're gunna be okay, Tooru," he murmured, "it's just a rough day today."

Oikawa just nodded slowly. His hands in his lap, clutching the ends of his shorts.

 

Iwa tried calling him later, but he didn't pick up. Matsukawa and Hanamaki tried to reassure him that it was okay, but that wasn't enough. He needed reassurance from Oikawa. He wanted to know that he was alright. He needed to know it. It hadn't exactly been the first time that Oikawa's knee had gone, thought it had never been that bad. It had happened a couple of times before. The first time when him and Iwaizumi went tree-climbing. He'd fallen and landed badly. Iwa bit his lip, covering his eyes. That had been his fault. His knee had just gotten worse since then...and now...if this messed up Oikawa's volleyball, what was he going to do? Oikawa was a serious player, he was going professional, they all knew it. But his knee was bad, and it was getting worse. What if Oikawa wasn't strong enough to play anymore? Iwa felt cold and tired suddenly, his head was swimming.

Morning practice was quiet, and the captain was nowhere in sight. Matsu nudged Iwaizumi as he entered the gym. "Have you heard anything?" he asked. Iwa sighed, shaking his head. "Well, he's fine. You know how he is. Always the drama queen," but Matsu's voice didn't sound convinced of it at all. He was just as worried as Iwa was. His face was stern, the bags under his eyes apparent.

It was about halfway through practice when they heard clicking coming from outside. It was an odd noise, and Iwa couldn't help but be distracted by it. He turned away from the game, watching the entrance as the clicking sound came closer. He saw the crutches emerge first, and then the familiar figure swing in through the door. "Sorry I'm late, everyone! My dad couldn't take me to school, so I had to wait for my sister, but she was already taking Takeru to school, so I had to wait!" The whole team turned, volleyballs dropping, one of them hitting an unsuspecting Hanamaki in the face. They all stared at him in shock. Oikawa smiled giddily, tapping his right foot gently down on the floor, relieving the weight from his crutches. The team ran over, asking him questions, wishing him well, wanting to try out the crutches, all until the coaches shooed them away so they could talk. Iwa could see Oikawa's lip quivering at least a dozen times within the conversation.

 

"So...this," Iwa asked, indicating vaguely towards Oikawa's knee, "what is this?"

Oikawa sighed, picking at his lunch carefully. "Ripped cartilage, is what it is," he said bluntly.

"What's happening?"

"I'm on the crutches for a couple weeks, until I can get into physiotherapy and strengthen it again," he sighed, "It's going to be a long struggle from here on out, I guess," he bit his lip, resting his chopsticks on the lunchbox. Matsukawa and Hanamaki were in front of them, playing around with Oikawa's crutches. "Are you gunna be okay?"

"Yeah..." Oikawa whispered. Iwa leaned in closer, "It's just, I can't practice volleyball for two weeks, and even after that, I can't practice because I need to do my physiotherapy, and it's like starting again entirely from the first step. It's frustrating..." He stared down at his knees, and Iwaizumi leaned closer.

"I know that it's a set-back, but...you'll get better, you'll learn to manage it,"

"I know, but I'm just...I work so hard and now I can't. And...Kageyama's going to catch up and I just...I worked _so hard_ for all of this, and I'm gunna lose it," his voice was cracking again. Iwaizumi sighed, leaning his head against Oikawa's shoulder. "You're gunna work through this, and you're going to come back stronger, and you'll beat Kageyama, and we'll beat Shiratorizawa, and we'll head to Nationals. You'll see. You need to stop worrying about it," he hesitated for a moment, wetting his lips, "You're the strongest person I know."

Oikawa smiled weakly. "After lugging myself around on those crutches, I'll have arms that rival yours, Iwa-chan,"

"Don't be so sure about that," Iwa muttered, resting his hand on top of Oikawa's. The captain smiled, kissing Iwaizumi on the cheek. "Thanks, Hajime," he whispered, turning his attention to their friends.

"Matssun, Maki-chan, I have to use them, please don't destroy them!"


End file.
